University of San Francisco’s Silk Speaker Series Welcomes Former Federal Reserve Chair Dr. Janet L. Yellen on August 29

SAN FRANCISCO (July 31, 2018) -- The University of San Francisco’s (USF) Silk Speaker Series will host former Federal Reserve Chair Dr. Janet L. Yellen for a moderated talk on Wednesday, August 29 from 6:00-7:15 p.m. at the McLaren Conference Center on campus. The event is open to the public and will be moderated by Dr. Suparna Chakraborty, Associate Professor of Economics and Associate Dean of Academic Effectiveness in the College of Arts & Sciences.

“It’s an honor to host the esteemed Dr. Janet L. Yellen, the first woman chair of the Federal Reserve System, here at USF,” said Dr. Chakraborty. “Under her leadership, she brought the unemployment rate down to 4.1% by strategically and gradually raising interest rates, also overseeing the process to decrease the $4.5 trillion balance sheet without disrupting financial markets, all the while maintaining a steady inflation rate around the 2% target.”

In 2014, Dr. Yellen made history as the first woman to be appointed as Chair of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System. Prior to her four-year term as chair, she served as Vice Chair of the Federal Reserve’s Board of Governors and, from 2004 to 2010, as President and Chief Executive Officer of the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco. A Keynesian economist, Dr. Yellen has published works in macroeconomics and labor economics, holding positions in the world of academia at Harvard University, the London School of Economics and Political Science, and the University of California at Berkeley, where she currently holds status as professor emeritus at the Haas School of Business.

Now in its second year, the Silk Speaker Series has featured speakers including Dr. Myron Scholes and Dr. Robert Merton, Nobel laureates in economic sciences; Steve Wozniak, co-founder of Apple, Inc.; NBA great Earvin “Magic” Johnson Jr., and Dr. Condoleezza Rice, 66th Secretary of State, among others.

About Dr. Janet L. Yellen

Dr. Yellen is a member of the Council of Foreign Relations and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. She has earned the Wilbur Cross Medal from Yale, the Adam Smith Award from the National Association for Business Economics and the Paul H. Douglas Award for Ethics in Government from the University of Illinois Institute of Government & Public Affairs. As a Keynesian economist Dr. Yellen has published works in macroeconomics and labor economics. In the world of academia Dr. Yellen held positions at Harvard University, the London School of Economics and Political Science, University of California at Berkeley, and currently holds status as professor emeritus at the Haas School of Business. While a serving member for the Federal Reserve’s Board of Governors from 1994-1997 President Clinton appointed Dr. Yellen as the chair of Council of Economic Advisers. From 1997-1999 she chaired the Economic Policy of Committee of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. In 2014, Dr. Yellen made history as the first woman to be appointed as Chair of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System. Currently, Dr. Yellen is a Distinguished Fellow in Residence at the Hutchins Center on Fiscal and Monetary Policy at the Brookings Institution.

About the USF Silk Speaker Series

Funded by a transformational gift to the University of San Francisco by investment expert Jeff Silk ’87 and his wife Naomi, the USF Silk Speaker Series brings international thought leaders in business, finance and global issues to USF’s campus. Learn more about the Jeff & Naomi Silk Speaker Series.

About the University of San Francisco

The University of San Francisco is located in the heart of one of the world’s most innovative and diverse cities and is home to a vibrant academic community of students and faculty who achieve excellence in their fields. Its diverse student body enjoys direct access to faculty, small classes and outstanding opportunities in the city itself. USF is San Francisco’s first university, and its Jesuit Catholic mission helps ignite a student’s passion for social justice and a desire to “Change the World from Here.” For more information, please visit usfca.edu.